Thread-waxing device for sewing-machines.



time the piece of rubber becomes unfit for UNITED STATES Patented April4, 1905.

'PATENT I OFFICE.

FRANK W. MERRICK, yOF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

THREAD-WAXING DEVICE FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

To all whom it may coi/warn.-

Be it known that I, FRANK WrMERnIoK, a citizen of the United States,residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts,have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Thread-WaxingDevices for Sewing-Machines, ofy which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.l

My invention relates to thread-waxers for sewing-machines, and moreespecially to the means which is employed in connection therewith forstripping the excess of wax from the thread and smoothing the latter andin some instances for packing the thread-passage or thread-passages inconnection with the waxpot in order to prevent escape of wax from thelatter through such passage or passages.

The invention consists in novel stripping or packing or packing andstripping devices and in a novel construction of thread-waxer embodyingsuch devices. It is customary to employ in thread-waxers for strippingor for packing or for packing and stripping a piece of rubber formedwith ayhole therethrough, through which the thread is extended, the

said piece of rubber occupyingasocket within which it is subjected tocompression, so as to press together the portions thereof which surroundthe said hole, and thereby cause the th read within the latter to besqueezed tightly. The compression usually is effected by means of ascrew-plug fittingwithin the socket and having a central longitudinalthread-passage in line with the hole in the rubber. By screwing the plugin or out, so as to compress the rubber more or less tightly, the actionof the rubber upon the thread may be regulated. This construction hascertain drawbacks, among which are the following: In course of furtherservice and must be removed and replaced by a fresh one. The removal ofthe old piece of rubber from the socket is not always readily eifected,however, inasmuch as it usually sticks firmly in place and can be exi,tracted only fragment by fragment and with Pf lconsiderable trouble andloss of time.

Similar diiiiculty is experienced when other packing material thanrubber is employed. When yvention applied thereto.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 786,774, d ated April4, 1905.

l Application led May 7, 1904. Serial No. 206,840.

the rubber or other packing is compressed within the socket by means ofthe screw-plug, its peripheral portions engage with the screwthreadwhich is formed in the interior surface of the wall of the socket. Suchengagement prevents the packing from expanding properly when thepressure of the screw-plug is relieved by unscrewing the latter.yConsequently the tension of th'e thread asit leaves the wax-pot cannotbe adjusted or regulated to a nicety by reducing the degree of itscompression by the packing.

Important objects of my invention are to obviate the foregoing drawbacksby providing a construction by means of which the removal andreplacement of the packing shall be facilitated and in which there shallbe no tendency to restrain the packing from expanding when the degree ofthe compression of the same is reduced.-

I have shown the invention in the accompanying drawings, in whichjFigure l shows in front elevation the arm or gooseneck of asewing-machine with the in- Fig. 2 shows the same in rear elevation.Fig. 3 shows the thread-waxer detached in end elevation. Fig. 4 isa'vview of the thread-waxer in vertical transverse section on the planeindicated by the dotted line 4 4 in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 isa view showing thethread-waxer in longitudinal section on the vertical plane indicated bythe dotted line 5 5 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 shows in side elevation, detached,the clip embodying one portion of my invention and the piece or block.of compressible material held thereby. Fig. 7 shows the parts of Fig. 6in plan. Fig. 8 isa view of a portion of the thread-waxer in horizontalsection on the plane indicated by the dotted line 8 8 in Fig. 3. l Y

Having reference to the drawings, the arm or gooseneck of asewing-machine is designated l in Figs. 1 and 2, 2 being a wax-pot,which is conveniently secured in connection therewith-as, for instance,by means of screws 2l 21, Fig. 2, having the stems thereof extendedthrough holes 22 22, Fig. 5, which are formed within the end walls ofthe waxpot. v

3 31 are guide-tubes which are secured in IOO `65 threaded stern theclip may be adjusted to holes that are formed in the opposite end wallsof the wax-pot, the said holes being threaded or tapped and the portionsof the guide-tubes which enter the holes being threaded to screw intothe same. Within the casing or shell of the wax-pot at opposite ends ofan intermediate portion of the wax-containing chamber and exterior tothe said intermediate portion are formed sockets 23 231, Figs. 2, 4, and5, to receive the pieces 4 4 of packing and stripping material. Theprecise material which is employed may vary in practice. Rubber, felt,and/the like compressible and more or less resilient substances aresuitable for the purpose. In the present instance rubber is indicated asemployed; but I do not necessarily limit myself thereto. The sockets areopen at one side of the wax-pot, in this instance at the rear thereof,while at the front thereof they are closed by portions of the casing orshell, through each of which portions a hole 24, Fig. 4, extends to thefront side of the wax-pot through a boss 241. At the inner ends of thesockets are formed seats 25, Fig. 8, such seats being suitably shaped toreceive portions of the pieces 4 4. Through the vertical walls of thesaid intermediate portion of the wax-containing chamber thread-passages242 243 extend in line within the central bores or thread-passages 32 33of the guide-tubes 3 31. When the pieces 4 4 are in place within thesockets 23 231, the longitudinal holes 4l 41 of the said pieces occupypositions in line with the thread-passages 32, 242, 243, and 33.

In connection with each piece of rubber 4 or the like I employ a clip 5,engaging with such piece. The clip may vary more or less in form andconstruction in the application of the same to the wax-pot and in themanner and means of its adjustment. The chief essentials thereof' arethat it shall be constructed to engage with the piece 4, at least at theinner and the outer surfaces thereof, when in place in, the socket ofthe wax-pot, that it shall be suitably constructed to apply pressure tothe outer portion of the said piece to compress the latter against theseat 25, and that it shall be adjustable to enable the rubber to becompressed to the required degree with capacity for variation. In thepresent instance the clip is formed with an annular portion whichencircles the piece of rubber and with lateral wings at one sidethereof, forming a shoe 51, approximating in length to the length of thepiece of rubber. At the side opposite the said shoe the clip isfurnished with a projecting stem 52, which is passed through the hole 24and projects from the boss 241 at the front side of the casing or shellof the wax pot. The said stem is screw-threaded, and to the same isapplied an adjusting-nut 53, which latter acts against the plane face ofthe boss 241. By means of the said nut and screwcompress the piece 4 toa greater or less extent between the shoe 51 of the clip and the seat 25of the casing or shell of the wax-pot. By reason of the fact that thering-shaped portion of the clip engages with the piece 4 at the front orinner side thereof it follows that when it is desired to remove suchpiece from the socket all that is required is that the nut 53 should beunscrewed from the stem 52 of the clip, after which the latter may bepushed rearward from the socket, taking with it the piece 4. After theremoval of the clip and piece 4 from the wax-pot the said piece may bedriven out or ejected from the clip and a fresh one inserted into thelatter, whereupon the clip may be restored to its place and the newpiece caused to assume working position in the socket.

In practice the piece of rubber or other material which is employed inconnection with each socket is of a proper length to enter readilywithin the same. When the clip is acted upon by means of the nut 53 tocause the shoe 51 to compress the said piece against the seat 25, thedisplacement of the material of the piece in the direction of its lengthwhich takes place causes the ends thereof to bear firmly against the endwalls of the sockets around the passages 242 243, thereby insuringagainst escape of the contents of the waxpot through such passages. Theshoe 51 al plies the pressure throughout substantially the entire lengthof the piece 4 at the outer side of the latter, thereby producing aneven compression of the thread throughout the length of the said piece,causing the thread to be stripped effectively by the piece through whichthe thread passes in leaving the waxpot with a less degree ofcompression and resulting tension. The curved shape of the seat 25 andshoe 51 causes converging pressure to be applied to all sides of thepiece 4, such pressure practically being uniformly radial at all pointsand tending to reduce the diameter of the central hole 41 uniformly.

I claim as my inventionl. In a thread-waxer, or the like, thecombination with the wax-pot having the socket, and the compressiblepacking occupying such socket, of the movable clip engaging with thesaid material at the inner and outer sides thereof, operating tocompress it within the said socket, and adapted to act in its movementtoeject the same from the socket, and securing means for said clip.

2. In a thread-waxer, or the like, the combination with the wax-pothaving the socket, and the compressible packing occupying such socket,of' the movable clip engaging with the said packing at the inner andouter sides thereof, provided with the elongated shoe to act against thepacking along the outer side of the latter, and adapted to act in itsmovement to eject the packing from the socket, and securing means forsaid clip.

IOO

3. In a'thread-waxer, or the like, the comhination with the Wax-pothaving the socket, and the piece of compressible packing occupying thesaid socket, of the clip clasping the said packing so as to engage withthe same at the inner and outer sides thereof and provided With thescrew-threaded stem, a-nd the nut engaging with the said stem.

4. In a thread-Waxer, or the like, the combination, theWaX-pothaving'the sockets at opposite sides of an intermediate portion of itsWax-containing chamber, and also having the thread-passages, the packingoccupying the said sockets, the clips each clasping the correspondingportion of packing at the inner and outer sides thereof and adapted inits movement to act to eject the rubber from the sockets, and means toadjust the clips to compress the said packing Within the sockets.

0 5. In a thread-Waxer, or the like, the com- .and packing applied tothe said seat onsocket,

of a clip for said packing, provided With means for securing the clip inplace, and engaging With the packing at the inner side of the latter tounseat the packing upon the Withdrawal of the clip.

6. In a th'read-Waxer, or the like, the comloinationv with a supporthaving a seat or socket, and packing applied to the said seat or socket,of a clip holding the packing in place and also engaging with the sameat the inner sidethereof to unseat the packing upon the Withdrawal ofthe clip, and adjusting means for said clip.

In testimony whereof I aiiX my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

I FRANK W. MERRICK.

Witnesses:

CRAs. F. RANDALL, WILLIAM `A. COPELAND.

